Criminal DEFENCE Blog

general information about the field of calgary criminal law

Victim sliced 56 times

Homicide victim Mike Kahsai bled to death after being sliced at least 56 times, possibly with the meat cleaver found next to his body, a pathologist said yesterday. Dr. Craig Litwin said most of the wounds were to Kahsai’s head - with the deepest to the back of his scalp. But under cross-examination by defence lawyer David Chow, Litwin acknowledged the majority of the cuts to [the victim]’s body were superficial ones.

Litwin was testifying at the Calgary jury trial of [the accused], who is charged with second-degree murder in [the victim]’s death last Oct. 12. [the victim], 18, was found dead on the floor next to the accused’s bed. Litwin said the meat cleaver found beside the body could have been the weapon which killed him, but said any sharp object might have been used. Litwin said a toxicology report done as part of the autopsy showed he deceased had consumed “recreational” amounts of cocaine and alcohol before his death.